Low pH Acidic Compositions

Abstract

Low pH acidic compositions for uses related generally to chemical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic agents and more particularly, but not limited to, used as bactericides, fungicides, germicides and virucides; all having pH values of less than about 2.0 in their final form. These low pH acidic compositions generally comprise two phases in solution. Phase I comprises from about 2 to about 98 weight percent of varying percentages of several chemical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic substances. Phase II comprises from about 2 to about 99 weight percent of an active aqueous acidic component having a pH value of less than about 1. This phase II aqueous acidic component is produced by: (a) admixing from about 5 to about 20 weight percent of a strong acid that has a high degree of dissociation with from about 5 to about 20 weight percent of another strong acid with a lower degree of dissociation, but still classified as strong, in a suitable vessel for an effective period of time to produce a substantially homogeneous acidic mixture; and b) admixing from about 1 to about 5 weight percent of weaker acids with low degrees of dissociation taken from the families of the hydroxycarboxylic acids or alpha hydroxy acids and from about 1 to about 5 weight percent of a dicarboxylic acid with the aqueous acidic mixture in an effective amount of water to provide an aqueous acidic mixture.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.